Today… Tomorrow… and Always
by modestlobster
Summary: Quidditch is easy enough to understand. Love? Not so much. Through hard work, sheer dumb luck, and "help" from friends Fred & George Weasley, Oliver hopes to convince Katie his feelings are true. CH11: Oliver finally 'escapes' from the Hospital wing  with Katie's help, of course ... perhaps a celebration is in order?
1. Might lapse into Quidditch metaphors

Author's Note: I haven't written – much less thought about – fanfiction for 5 years. So it was a bit of a shock to suddenly have a burning desire to write some… though possibly not a huge surprise with the final Harry Potter movie coming out very soon. I wanted to write _something_ HP, but no real ideas – that is, until I happened upon some RPing going on via Twitter that I thought would make a great fic. So I got permission from **0liverWood** & **Katie_Bell_** & **George_Weasley** (who will appear in later chapters) to turn their tweets into prose. The following fanfic really is a collaborative work, so any reviews are appreciated and I'll pass comments along. Please do check out **Hira-chii** here on FFdotNet – she is Katie_Bell_ and has a few more KB/OW fics of her own.

_Disclaimer__: Do people still do disclaimers? We don't own these characters; we're not making any money out of it. Anyway… Thank you, JKR._

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><p>"Don't you like <em>anything<em> else?"

Her exasperation echoed loudly along the corridor.

Oliver Wood scratched the back of his neck as he pondered the question.

"Well, yes…" He admitted. "But I figure, you find something you're good at – you keep doing it and get better at it."

Katie Bell stared him down as they reached the entrance to Gryffindor Tower.

"So, you're content with _only_ Quidditch for the rest of your life." She stated, matter-of-factly.

"Sure." Oliver said candidly, before noticing the stony look he was getting. "Err… Uh, no, I mean – not _just_ Quidditch… I'm sure there are other good things in life, too."

"You really _are_ dense, aren't you?" She gave him the most annoyed look she could think of before huffily whispering "_Zinkenstein._" to the Fat Lady and disappearing through the portrait hole.

"I…" Oliver clambered in after, catching up to Katie where she was already perched on one of the plush sofas in the Gryffindor common room and writing nonchalantly in a notebook with a quill.

"It's just easy for me to talk about Quidditch." He continued, as though pleading his own defence case. "I don't often get the chance to talk about… err, other 'things' that I like."

"Things." Katie folded her arms. "Like what?"

She tilted her head ever-so-slightly, indicating the space on the couch beside her – as much of an invitation to sit down as Oliver was going to get.

"Err, well, you know…" He obliged obediently, albeit a bit nervously, and tried to come up with an answer. "Like the team. We've got a great team this year…"

"That's still related to Quidditch."

"Uh, but not just on the pitch, I mean." He corrected himself quickly. "It's been great getting to know everyone better. As people. Wizards. Not just great Quidditch players."

Katie set her quill down silently, raising her eyebrows slightly and waiting until he continued.

"Err, okay, well…" Oliver stumbled valiantly forth, clinging to his words as though they might save him from the menacing girl-creature beside him. "Like… Harry. He's got a good head on his shoulders, good to suss out ideas with… And Fred and George… The twins can always cheer anybody up about anything without even trying. And then there's you guys…" He paused briefly, trying to read her blank expression. "Err, you _girls_. Angelina and Alicia… and you."

She interrupted with an incredulous sigh. "You really are ridiculous."

"Sorry…" Oliver said plainly. "Didn't expect to be, uh, put on the spot like this…" He shrugged. "Would've prepared something to say that was a little more memorable."

Katie shook her head softly. "It's fine. _I'm_ sorry."

"I think you're a great friend, Katie." He softly patted her hand. "And a brilliant Chaser." He cautiously let his hand linger, covering hers. "…And much more."

"Huh?" Katie blushed slightly at his touch. "What do you mean?"

Oliver quickly tried to find the words – any words. "Ehm, afraid I might lapse into Quidditch metaphors pretty quick…" He stood up quickly, shrugging sheepishly. "Just hope we can be better friends?"

Katie stared at him, confused. "Alright…" Her eyes quickly grew cold as she collected her things. "I'm off to do my work. See you."

"Eh, sure… See you later, Katie." Oliver glanced at his hand, the feeling of hers staying with him. "Don't forget Quidditch practice…"

He watched her head up the stairs to the girls' dormitories.

"Alright… Okay… Hopefully that went better than I think it did…" Oliver thought, replaying the moment in his head.

"Who are you kidding, Wood?" He muttered to himself.

He headed back toward the portrait hole.

"I need a butterbeer."


	2. Are you sure you're alright?

_A/N: Again, if you're enjoying any of this fic, please go check out **Katie_Bell_** and **0liverWood **on Twitter and the wonderful **Hira-chii** here. We'd love to know what you think!_

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><p>It was a clear, crisp afternoon. Perfect flying conditions – visibility would be 100 percent. Oliver Wood soaked it all in, memorising, calculating in his head, before coming to the conclusion that it was absolute rubbish. Honestly, how often did Gryffindor ever actually play a match where the weather – or anything else, for that matter – was perfect?<p>

The arrival of his team-mates quickly brought him out of his lamentations. "'Right there, Potter?" Oliver asked, retrieving a piece of parchment from his pocket and tapping his wand along it as he read out the rest of their names. "Weasley, Weasley. Thank you, Miss Johnson and Miss Spinnet. And, err, Miss Bell…" He tried to push the thoughts of their earlier exchange out of his head.

"And Wood." He concluded, not noticing how his team collectively rolled their eyes. "Looks like we're all here and on time for Quidditch practise – for once." He gave Fred and George a pointed look. "Good. That means 5 points to Gryffindor."

While the twins jostled around, arguing over whose halo was the largest and the brightest, Oliver crouched down before the trunk that housed the Quidditch balls. He tapped his wand on the lock, whispering a few words until it magically vanished.

"Right, well." Oliver sprang the box open and, suddenly very businesslike, beckoned to Harry and emphatically plunked the fidgeting Snitch into his Seeker's hand. "Harry, I want you to practise all those diversionary tactics we talked about. Professor McGonagall's lifted pitch restrictions, so you can cast anything you need to give you some kind of opposition to work against."

Oliver wrested the Bludgers out of the box one at a time, hustling them into the care of the twins. "Fred, George, I want –" They gave Oliver a pointed look. "Sorry – _George, Fred_ – I want you to see just how close you can keep to those Bludgers." Oliver instructed, adding, "Without knocking yourselves out. And no skiving off." The twins nodded and took off on their brooms, cradling the Bludgers like demonic hell-spawn.

Oliver relaxed just a bit as he took the Quaffle out. "Right." He said, turning to Katie, Angelina, and Alicia. "There's no one can match you three on speed and team work…" He tossed the ball to Angelina, and continued, "So, let's work on scoring throws."

Angelina gave Katie and Alicia a silent look of mock seriousness, parroting Oliver's authoritative nod before kicking off into the air on her broom, abandoning the other two girls to suppress their fits of laughter wholly on their own.

Oliver looked up sharply, having missed the full exchange during a concentrated effort to cast a duplication spell inscribed within the trunk. Alicia smiled at him a bit too innocently as she took off, nearly launching herself into the spectator stands. Oliver shook his head and glanced at Katie, tilting his head in Alicia's direction.

"_Aye, aye, Capt'n_," Katie mumbled, soaring up after Alicia to help her get into position.

After quickly inspecting the second Quaffle he had impeccably conjured, Oliver joined the three girls aloft, speaking loudly over the rush of the air, whilst leading them to the goal posts. "Harry was telling me about this muggle game, Baskets'n'balls, that I thought we could learn from…"

Katie laughed, "It's 'basketball' – not _Baskets'n'balls_, Oliver…"

The four of them stopped in a huddle near the centre hoop, and Oliver continued, "Now, it'll be a bit more risky for attacks from other players – especially when we're playing Slytherin – but a lot more accurate and more powerful, if you 'shoot' the ball with both hands."

Oliver demonstrated, a bit wobbily, what the two-handed throw would look like, without actually letting go of the Quaffle. "That is – if you can keep your brooms steady, and do it quick."

Katie spontaneously grabbed the ball out of his hands, explaining, "Basically, you want to shoot from the top, like this…"

She flew up, a few meters above the centre goal, and popped the Quaffle down through the hoop at a sharp angle. Oliver flew to catch the ball in the air as it fell, then rejoined his three Chasers.

"Err, yeah, that's basically it." He faltered for a moment, nonplussed, before regaining his train of thought. "Alicia, Angelina, practice that. Going in from a higher angle; shooting with both hands. Switch between being Keeper and Chaser." They looked at each other briefly, then at Katie, then Oliver. "And I'll, err, practice with Katie."

As the girls attempted to stifle their tittering, Oliver glided over to Katie and gestured to the goals down the field. "We'll take the other end of the pitch, so we won't run into the others."

Katie glanced at Angelina and Alicia, then gave him a mock salute before speeding off, making a beeline toward the other end of the pitch, other than dodging a stray Bludger. Oliver followed her, though much less nimbly, and shot Fred and George a warning look on his way past.

"What else do you know about this 'basketsball' game that we could use?" He asked as he caught up to where she was hovering, waiting for him.

"Well…" Katie pondered, picking thoughtfully at a small splinter of wood on her broom. "In the game, there's a time limit to bring the ball to the other end…" She shrugged at him. "Maybe we could try different ways of travelling from each end?"

The idea processed through his Quidditch-addled brain. "Hm. Maybe have a practise where you Chasers don't hold onto the Quaffle longer than 5 seconds – keep it moving."

Oliver reflexively began passing the ball back and forth with her, glancing toward Angelina and Alicia to gauge their progress. "Quite a… a bit of giggling going on today." He raised an eyebrow at Katie questioningly. "Something I missed?"

"Hmm?" She said quietly, shaking her head and hooking the ball back to him. "Nothing, nothing."

He tossed the ball back to her. "In my experience, girls don't giggle over nothing."

"Oh really?"

Oliver repositioned himself defiantly in front of the centre hoop. "Try that shot you did earlier."

Katie zoomed up higher than she had before, quickly faking a throw to the centre before thrusting the ball at the right-hand hoop.

Oliver sped towards it, his fingers barely brushing the Quaffle as it sailed through the goal.

"Not bad, Katie." He called out, circling around to catch the ball, then flying up next to her. "And even if you miss a shot like that, you stand a good chance of hitting the other team's keeper in the head…" He grinned. "Not that I'm condoning that sort of behaviour."

Katie instinctively placed her hand on his forehead. "Are you sure you're alright today?" She said, raising her eyebrows.

Oliver suddenly found himself staring into her eyes. "I'm, uh…" He cleared his throat and turned away hurriedly, calling out to the rest of the team, "Alright – Fred, George, everyone – let's call it a day. Just some thoughts to keep in mind for next time."

Katie shook her head and flew over to join Angelina and Alicia.

Oliver touched down to the ground beside the equipment trunk where the twins and Harry were waiting. He readily replaced the Bludgers and the Snitch to their proper compartments, then set about vanishing the extra Quaffle and redoing the lock, trying not to be obvious as he stole furtive glances at Katie while she interacted with the other girls. He nodded to Harry, Fred and George as they exited the locker room and headed back toward the castle.

And then he noticed the Hufflepuff Quidditch team arriving onto the pitch.


	3. Sorry you, err, had to see that

_A/N: Wanted to say thanks to all you readers from 16(!) different countries who have checked out the story so far. A few more reviews would be encouraging, of course… =D But anyway, again, please check out __**Katie_Bell_**__ and __**0liverWood**__ on Twitter and the wonderful __**Hira-chii**__ here. Enjoy!_

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><p>Katie waved a quick hello to her friends on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team as they arrived on the pitch. And – Oliver noticed – she smiled when Cedric Diggory waved back at her. Oliver grabbed his broom and, without hesitation, strode confidently up to Cedric.<p>

"Get in all the practice you can, Diggory!" Oliver jeered boastfully, despite having to look up at the noticeably more lofty Seeker, his rival Captain, in order to deliver the full effect. "You won't beat our Chasers, come next match."

Katie could only stare at Cedric and Oliver in a state of curious shock, while Angelina and Alicia dissolved into yet another fit of giggles. Oliver glanced back at them out of the corner of his eye, then shrugged a bit lamely.

Cedric quickly rolled his eyes at the daft Scotsman and carried onward to the pitch in his typical brooding silence. Katie ushered her fellow Chasers toward the castle with a sigh.

"Must be some joke I don't get…" Oliver muttered to himself as he headed to the changing room and equipment storage to put his broom away safely in his locker. "Girls…" He sighed, kicking off his shoes as if to punctuate his bemusement, then slumping down on the bench to pull off his Quidditch padding.

Katie, meanwhile, had gotten halfway to the Gryffindor common room before realising that her school robes were still back at the pitch. She mumbled an excuse to Alicia before running back outside.

Oliver stripped off his sweaty shirt and leaned against the cool wall. "Why _do_ you like Quidditch so much, eh?" He asked himself aloud, then answered himself just as easily, "Everything else is just complicated."

Oliver closed his eyes. "I bet Diggory doesn't have these problems with his team. No wonder the girls all…" He trailed off, his mind wandering jealously. "…And they all just giggle at me."

Suddenly, the changing room door creaked open.

"Not done in here, Hufflepuff." Oliver stated gruffly.

"…Oliver?"

"Err, uhm…" He sat up straighter. "…Katie?"

It took her eyes a few moments to adjust to the dim lighting. It took her eyes much less than a few moments to realise that her Captain was sitting there half-naked.

"S-sorry!" She blushed furiously, hurrying back outside and slamming the door shut behind her.

Oliver jumped up from the bench, utterly confused. "I… I…" He stared at the door for a moment, then pleaded with it, "I didn't even say anything this time!"

As the door didn't respond, on account of its being a door (and indeed not one of the castle's many haunted ones), Oliver cautiously crept over and opened it, peering outside. "Katie?"

She turned to face him, her face scarlet. "Yea?"

"I… uh… Sorry, did you need something?"

She nodded. "M-my robes." She finally stammered out.

"Oh. Is that it?" Oliver smiled and tried his best not to laugh. "And I take it they're in here?"

Katie nodded mutely. Oliver held the door open for her.

"Hey, Capt'n?" She started timidly, then discovered her voice was still in good working condition. "Would you mind putting on a shirt?" She blushed again.

Oliver glanced down at himself, then looked up sheepishly, suddenly less oblivious. "Ah, right… Err, sorry."

The door banged closed as Oliver retreated into the room. After a few mild crashes and bangs, he reappeared, fully clothed in his school uniform. Katie sighed softly in relief.

"Sorry." He shrugged, propping the door open for her again. "You can get your things now."

"Thanks." She brushed by him to claim her robes from another bench. Oliver busily stuffed the rest of his Quidditch gear into a locker.

"Sorry you, err, had to see that…" He tightened his Gryffindor-striped tie chastely, then smirked. "Hope I haven't scarred you for life."

"N-not exactly." Katie headed to the door with her robes in hand, trying not to blush more (if that were even possible).

Oliver considered her for a moment. "…I guess I should expect some giggling from the girl's end of the table at dinner tonight, then." He shut his locker, resigned to his fate. "…Hope they enjoy the story."

Katie looked back at him surprised, her head tilted slightly. "You think they giggle about _you_?"

"It wouldn't be the first time someone's laughed at my expense." He admitted.

She sighed. "I can promise you that they're not laughing at _you_."

"Then who else…" He shrugged. "I'm the only one who's made an idiot of himself lately."

Katie frowned.

"You haven't." She paused for a moment, staring at him seriously. "They're laughing at _me_, Wood."

Oliver shook his head. "What is there to laugh at you about?"

"If you can't see why… then you're even more dense than we thought."

"I don't understand. Aren't they your friends?"

"Yes, they are…" Katie said coolly, then hurried out.

Oliver blinked then dashed out after her.

Somehow she was already well away from the Quidditch pitch; so he stood there, and just watched as she returned to the castle.

"Right…" He told himself. "What would she want with an idiot like me."


	4. And when exactly would I meet her?

_A/N: This update to the story was intended to be a birthday gift for **Hira-chii**, but it's totally belated now. Alas. Well, the sentiment is still there. Hope you're enjoying the story so far – I'm certainly enjoying seeing the reviews, favs, and alerts in my email! Thanks – and keep it up! And say 'Hi!' to **Katie_Bell_** and **0liverWood** (and don't forget **George_Weasley** of course) if you're on Twitter._

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><p>Another day had dawned. Quite literally. The sun had just risen, happily pelting Oliver and his forlorn countenance with sunshining rays of irrepressible frivolity as he slumped onto a couch in the corner of the Gryffindor common room. He pulled out the current object of his dismay: a half-written (really, half-scribbled) note to one Katie Bell.<p>

"Forget it, Wood…" He admonished himself, as he was prone to do whenever he found himself in some semblance of solitude. Oliver crumpled the parchment up and an eager house-elf appeared, anticipating the glorious act of littering.

However, at that very moment the quite literal descent of the aforementioned Katie Bell from the stairs of the girls' dormitories halted the Keeper's hands. (Which, naturally, greatly disheartened the aforementioned house-elf.)

"G'morning, Capt'n." Katie said sleepily, breaking the silence – and whatever spell Oliver found himself bound by: he hurried the wayward note into outstretched elfin hands and encouraged the (much delighted) house-elf out of the room.

"Err… Yeah – mornin'." Oliver managed, fumbling his way out of speechlessness. "Don't usually see anyone else up this early."

Katie sat down on the couch with him. "Writing home?" She asked, eyeing his newly-unemployed quill.

"Err… yeah… home."

Oliver, Katie noticed, seemed to be suffering at the hands (or, perhaps, the sands) of some sort of verbal quicksand.

"Gets a bit hard, finding the right words…" He continued, trying to calmly extricate himself. "I mean, my mum's said she doesn't want to hear about Quidditch."

Katie shook her head with knowing sympathy for Mrs. Wood. "What about classes?"

Oliver shrugged. "I can never really think of anything interesting to say about them… It's all the same things she learned at Hogwarts, I'm sure."

"Then…" Katie pondered for a moment. "Girls?" She suggested brightly, then quickly justified the topic's suitability, "After all, every mum wants to see her children find someone."

"Yeah…" Oliver's cheeks reddened slightly. "Mum _would_ love that."

He took a sudden interest in twisting his quill back and forth between his fingers. "Mum's a bit… funny sometimes, though. Not quite sure how well the girl would survive…"

Katie's eyes flashed. "So you _do_ like someone! Who?"

"Err, well, she…" He looked at Katie, his heart pounding out of nervousness. "She's… a girl…"

Katie sighed. "Yes, thanks. I wouldn't have guessed that."

"Just, uh…" Oliver scratched the back of his neck. "She happens to be… someone we both know and, err, I don't want to get ahead of myself… if she doesn't fancy me back."

Katie nodded emphatically. "But it's Angelina, right? Or Alicia?"

Oliver contemplated this. "…You think they'd like me, ehm, that way?"

Katie stared at him blankly. "Any girl would be crazy not to fancy you."

The Scotsman shook his head suddenly, escaping a momentary reverie that may or may not have involved the other two Chasers fawning over him whilst feeding him trifle. "Sorry, I mean… No, no, it's not them."

Katie rolled her eyes. "Well, good, 'cause they like the Twins."

Oliver muttered to himself, "Not so sure it's a good idea to date someone on the team anyway…"

"Who is it, Wood?" Katie pressed, hopefully.

Well, it was certainly not George Weasley, but he appeared nonetheless.

"Did someone say the magic word?" George chirped, grinning.

'Twins' was apparently the magic word.

"Mornin'." George drawled, looking pointedly at Oliver, who quickly shifted away from Katie.

"Err, uh… you're up early, Weasley."

Oliver, George noticed, seemed to be an expert at stating the obvious.

"Where's your better half?" Oliver continued.

George shrugged simply. "Seeing as I'm the better half… Standing right in front of you, mate." His attention quickly drifted over to Katie. "So… What are you two lovebirds doing?"

She blushed. "We're not _lovebirds_!"

"'Course not." George rolled his eyes. "Looking more like scarlet macaws at the moment."

Katie coughed. "Excuse me?"

Oliver stared at George in a brief moment of panic, before incredulously stammering out, "Err… we're not… we're… Not doing anything!"

George called out to his exceptionally identical counterpart, who had just appeared from the boys' dormitories. "Oi, Fred. Come settle a bet – which is redder, my hair or Ollie's face?"

Oliver glared at George, slowly regaining his composure. "Come off it, Weasley. Leave us alone."

George batted his eyelashes at Oliver. "Just trying to help out."

Fred joined them and winked at Katie. "But we can tell when we're not wanted."

George looked as his wrist, as if to verify whether it was indeed not-wanted-o'clock, then took the opportunity to elbow-check Fred, who chased him out through the portrait hole whilst inventing suitable cursory consequences.

"Gits." Oliver looked on, dumbfounded, as the two made their getaway.

He glanced at Katie. "I… I'm a bit, uh… speechless. Err… sorry, are you okay?"

She nodded. "Well yes, I'm fine…"

Oliver sighed quietly. "Can't tell the twins anything…"

Katie looked at him pointedly. "Don't change the subject, Wood." She paused, thinking aloud, "If it's not Ange or Alicia…"

Oliver interrupted her deductions. "Look, I, uh, wasn't writing to my parents…"

Katie raised her eyebrows. "Then who?"

"Right…" Oliver shrugged noncommittally. "You."

"About?" She suddenly panicked, "Are you kicking me off the team? I'll work harder, I swear!"

A small smile escaped onto Oliver's mouth; he quickly recomposed himself into a stern façade. "Look, you work any harder and they'll kick_ me_ off the team and make _you_ Captain!"

Katie grinned with relief. "Thank goodness. You got me scared there." She unconsciously moved closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

Oliver tensed then allowed himself to relax just a bit. "…Maybe I should have you write letters to my mum…"

Katie laughed. "Why's that?"

Oliver looked at her and smiled. "You seem to understand what mums want to read about. And I think she'd like you." He suddenly realised that he had said the last bit out loud.

Katie blushed and moved away slightly, looking at him sceptically. "Really now…"

"Well yeah, you're much more interesting than Quidditch… is – is what I imagine she'd say!"

Katie eyed Oliver curiously as his cheeks tinged with pink. "And… when exactly would I meet her?"

"Ah… err… Maybe we could meet up during school holidays?" He fidgeted with his quill again. "'Til then, you and I should uh, hang out a bit more. Not rush things, maybe."

Katie smiled at him warily. "Yea… except… Cedric's already invited me over for the holidays…"

"Lovely. Forget I said anything." Oliver stood up abruptly, giving her a pointed look. "Just try not to tell 'im all of our Quidditch plays, eh?"

Katie blinked at him, utterly confused. "Why would I…?"

Oliver had already stormed off through the portrait hole, though he glanced back at Katie as The Fat Lady shut behind him with a girlish giggle.

"Wood, you've done it again…" He shook his head as he wandered slowly downstairs (though his thoughts were decidedly racing) to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Katie steeled herself, crossing her arms, and huffed in annoyance at the vacant seat beside her.

"Bloody git."


	5. No one should have the pitch reserved

A/N: Thanks again to **Hira-chii** (and **Katie_Bell_** and **0liverWood **on Twitter), and all you lovely Favs and Alerts. Short-ish chapter; I know… we're getting to the exciting parts. ;-D

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><p>Oliver trudged into the Great Hall and slumped down at the Gryffindor table, purposely as far enough away from any of the other students that he could sulk without interruption. A heavily-laden plate of food appeared quite suddenly on the table in front of him, but he just as suddenly pushed it away. He could have sworn the plate looked dejected at this, but Oliver could barely muster a feeling of indifference, instead pulling out a clean sheet of parchment and his quill.<p>

_Dear Mum,_ he wrote. _Classes are okay…_

Oliver tapped the quill absently on the table, flicking specks of ink into a nearby bowl of equally-despondent porridge. He had to wonder at this point whether he would be better off investing in some kind of auto-writing quill. More, he wondered at the fact his mother hadn't already gifted one to him, considering her fervor and adamance that he write more, and shocked dismay at his paltry submissions.

His eyes finally refocused on the task at hand, and he skipped a few lines to fill in later (when he had actually formed an opinion about his classes), then continued:

_I'm worried about our next Quidditch match…_

It was hard to break a habit. Quidditch was his life. Still, he could hear the familiar ring of his mother's exasperated Howlers echoing in his ears, so he kept his tirade to a few short paragraphs. Which left him with his current consternation.

As if on cue, Katie Bell walked into the Hall. She was hoping no one could tell she had been crying, and she did her best not to look at Oliver at all.

Oliver, however, was doing quite his best to stare at Katie the entire time she walked past him to when she finally sat down, quite as far away from him as possible. He noticed Cedric amble in a few moments after her.

"Bloody git." He cursed under his breath.

_Oh, and forget about the girl I told you about…_ He scribbled hastily onto the page.

Then, as an afterthought, Oliver stabbed his quill into the parchment twice, and then, as an after-afterthought set about crumpling up the letter altogether.

As Cedric conveniently sat down right across from Katie at the neighbouring Hufflepuff bench, Oliver leapt up from his seat, as though someone had cast _Incendio_ beneath him. Katie acutely felt the tremor course down the length of the Gryffindor table as Oliver slammed his balled-up parchment down.

She took a calming breath, and turned around to the yellow-and-black clad object of Oliver's ire, "Hey, Ced…"

"Mm?" Cedric turned to her, somehow managing to swagger handsomely even whilst sitting down.

"You sure Aunt Esther's okay with me going to yours?"

"Yea, Mum's fine with it."

Oliver rashly decided to detour down around the Hufflepuff table in order to snatch a hot cross bun off a tray in front of Cedric, before storming out of the Hall.

Cedric raised an eyebrow at Katie and nodded in the direction of the now-departed Scotsman. "Is your Captain alright?"

Katie shook her head. "No idea…"

Oliver wasn't. Not really. He stood in the foyer outside the Hall, at a momentary loss for what to do and where to go, now that he had triumphantly seized baked goods out of Diggory's domain (although in reality, Cedric didn't much care for hot cross buns, but Oliver didn't know that).

"Err… Well…" He glanced out toward the castle grounds. 'No one should have the pitch reserved this time of day…"

Oliver headed outside and wandered somewhat aimlessly (though his internal compass was most decidedly set in the direction of the Quidditch pitch).

"What does she even see in Diggory, eh?" Oliver wondered aloud to himself, whilst some rogue flobberworms may have overheard him conspire, "…Maybe I should start a rumour that he's a vampire…"

Back in the Great Hall, Cedric finished up his rather non-vampiric breakfast. "Alright," he said to Katie, excusing himself to head off after a certain Ravenclaw. "See you at the next game."

"Yea." Katie said, getting up to leave as well, as she was not too keen to wait around for Angelina and Alicia to arrive and torment her.

She grabbed some bread to take with her and noticed Oliver's abandoned letter, still sitting in the middle of the table. She casually stuffed it in her pocket as she walked by, before heading out to chastise her Keeper, with a fairly good idea where he might have gone.


	6. What do you want me to do, Captain?

_A/N: Been a while. Sorry about that – life and all. Hope to update a little more regularly again. Cheers and thanks for the watches and reviews! (And as always, go say _Hello_ to our **Katie_Bell_** and **0liverWood** on Twitter.)_

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><p>His broom in hand (being dragged most unceremoniously across the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch, it might add – if broom's could talk), Oliver ambled over to the edge of the sand pit surrounding the base of the southerly goal hoops.<p>

He looked up at his domain wistfully. "All a bit different from the ground, eh…"

"So, Wood…" A voice emanated suddenly from behind him as Katie Bell stalked up to the spot where he stood. "Care to explain why you're so angry?"

Oliver spun on his heel, only slightly less surprised than he would have been if he were to see a Bludger hurtling toward the general direction of his face. "Katie…"

He pondered her question for a moment then sighed. He stepped across the sand and knelt beside the closest goal post. "Remember when we all did this?"

Katie joined him at the wooden pole's base, where he pointed out the motley collection of hand-carved initials: HP, FW, GW, AJ, AS, KB, OW.

"Yea…" She smiled a little at the thought (especially when she recalled the twins' impersonations of McGonagall's wrath if she ever found out they did such a thing).

"Well," He stared at the letters, dispirited. "I suppose I'm angry because it feels like I'm losing the team we've all built together." Oliver shook his head. "And it's my fault. And Cedric's fault… And–"

"Why is it your fault? And Ced's?" Katie busied herself with drawing abstract pictures in the sand, avoiding Oliver's gaze.

"Aye, it's my fault because what I want, what I _still_ want, despite everything in the world telling me it's not going to happen…" He could feel his pulse pounding through his veins as he continued, "What I want – it's something that changes everything. Aye, it changes Quidditch. Changes friendships…" He thought back to his behaviour in the Great Hall. "And it changes rivalries… Whether I get it – or 'Ced' does."

Katie looked up. "Wood?"

She noticed Oliver had leaned in closer to her, but was fiercely staring off at the grounds, as though trying to decide whether to stay or run away.

"It's you, Katie." His voice tumbled out steadily, but softly, as he finally worked up his resolve. "You're the thing I want… More than the Quidditch Cup. More than… anything, really… But it changes everything."

Her cheeks flushed slightly and she continued drawing shapes. "M-me…?"

"I've been trying to tell you all along," He admitted, "But the right words…" _Never came. _"Or Cedric…" _Got in the way. _Or their ages… _Wouldn't matter later, but aye, maybe they did right now._

Katie coughed, "Ced? Why…"

"You like him… And I don't know what to do."

She stared blankly at the despondent Scot.

He shrugged at her and shook his head. "I'm not Cedric."

She couldn't believe it. "He's…"

_Honestly, Oliver, _she thought."He's my…"

_Bugger. _Oliver braced himself for the blow that would send him crashing back down to Earth. That's what you got for laying your feelings out on the line, like an unlucky hand in Exploding Snap.

"…My cousin." She finally coughed out.

Oliver blinked. And then blinked again, for good measure. "Cedric's your…" He shifted around until she was looking him in the eye. "You mean, he and you are… You're not…"

She stared at him exasperated, until he finished, "You're not in love with him?"

"What? Did you honestly think…" She groaned and rested her forehead against the goal post. "You ignorant –"

Oliver winced slightly, "Alright, you don't like Cedric! Aye, you said it yourself: I'm not the smartest…" He stood up quickly and dusted the sand off himself. After studying her for a moment, he sighed. "But then I guess you don't like me either."

"Ignorant git." She stood up after him, her cheeks tinged a slightly angrier red. "How can you be so sure?"

He busied himself with retrieving his broom. "If you did like me, I don't imagine we'd be having this conversation!"

If there had been a rope nearby, Katie Bell would have been at the very end of it, and completely exasperated. "What do you want me to do, Captain? Snog you senseless!"

Oliver, having turned already to exit the Quidditch pitch, missed the brilliant shade of crimson she turned at that very moment.

"You don't have to tease me about it!" He shouted back at her. "If you don't like me, it's fine… I'll get over it."

Katie chased after him, cursing under her breath. "Oi, Wood." She caught his hand.

"Yes… Bell."

She took a deep calming breath.

And.

Then.

Though she had to stand on tiptoe, she didn't mind, and softly pressed her lips onto his.

Oliver hesitated for a moment. And. Then. He kissed her back gently.

He broke away first, bemused. "Maybe we could, ehm, continue this conversation…" He suddenly smirked, unable to help himself. "…When you decide if you like me."

Katie ducked her head away. "S-sorry… I shouldn't have done that… It was a mistake."

Oliver watched helplessly, still in shock from their kiss, at the sight of his Katie Bell hurriedly walking away. "…One hell of a mistake!"

He hastily clambered onto his broom, easily catching up with her and gliding slowly beside, matching her pace. "You're doing it again, Katie. Getting me all confused…"

"Yea well… Go figure it out, Wood." She was stifling her tears as best she could.

Oliver smacked the broom handle with a clenched fist, then quickly re-steadied himself, narrowly avoiding a collision with the ground. "That's why I'm here! Why I'm still here. I'm trying to figure it – to figure _you_ – out."

She stopped suddenly; he reflexively touched down next to her.

She fiddled with his broomstick. "Is this clear enough for you? …I like you, Capt'n. Alright?"

He raised a brow at her. "Right. So, you like me… for the moment anyway." He tilted his head inquisitively. "…But it was a mistake to kiss me?"

"W-well…" She blushed quickly in annoyance. "You hesitated before kissing back… So obviously you don't exactly reciprocate my feelings…"

Oliver scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Ehm… As a general rule, I don't really spend every moment expecting a pretty girl to suddenly kiss me. You caught me off my guard, Katie. _That's_ why I hesitated."

"Oh." She looked away, her fingers lingering along the rough grooves of the wood grain.

"Look…" Oliver took Katie's hand in his cautiously. "Maybe this just isn't the right time for 'us'… Maybe after we win the Quidditch Cup, or… Or something… When we're both a bit less silly about the whole thing, eh?"

The look she gave him was sudden, sold and piercing. "Still on about Quidditch…"

She tsked as she walked off, wholly disinterested.

"Yes, Quidditch will always be important to me!" He answered, his adrenaline suddenly evaporating. "And so will you…" But she made no sign of hearing or stopping.

Oliver threw his broom to the ground.

"I'll never be as important to him…" Katie muttered to herself, tears already threatening escape as she hurried to the castle. "That _game_!"


	7. Funny way of showing their friendship

_A/N: Wow! Thanks for all the Favs, Alerts, Hits, and Reviews! I really appreciate them, as do _**Katie_Bell_**_ and_ **0liverWood**_ (and 'special guest' _**George_Weasley**_ in this chapter) on Twitter. Cheers!  
><em>

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><p>•••••••<p>

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><p>Oliver slumped down onto the grassy knoll beside his faithful old broom.<p>

"How can you kiss her and lose her in the same day, Wood?" He asked himself aloud, as the broom was not a great conversationalist.

Oliver sighed, and stared at the Quidditch pitch. _If the plan doesn't work, try something else._

He shook his head. _And just what do I tell Mum? …Suppose I can still send her the letter I started this morning…_

Oliver stood up and patted his pockets for the letter. _Err, where did I…_

Meanwhile, Katie had endured the long trek back to the Gryffindor common room, which would have been all the more taxing with the heaviness in her heart – had it not been for the numbness that accompanied it. She made it to a quiet nook (a surprising, yet not improbable find) and settled into a scarlet-and-gold armchair.

A sudden crinkling sound made her curse the Weasley twins under her breath for whatever prank had just befallen her, until she realised it was nothing of the sort, and retrieved from her pocket the piece of parchment that Oliver had left behind at breakfast.

Now apologizing to the Weasleys (also under her breath), Katie carefully restored the letter to its proper flatness and scanned over her Captain's scrawled penmanship, floundering through all the Quidditch ramblings until she was jerked awake, like a fisherman's hook had lodged into her, her mouth all agape.

_Oh, and forget about the girl I told you about…_

"Forget her?" She breathed out.

He breathed in one last bit of sunshine as he finished retracing his path to the castle. "Must've left it somewhere…" Oliver blinked while his eyes adjusted to the dim light inside and, for lack of a better idea, took out his wand. "Ehm… _Accio_ letter?"

Katie's grip reflexively tightened on the letter until it finally leapt free, away from the cascade of tears streaking down her face. Having been abandoned, even by (usually) inanimate objects, she rushed up to the girls' dormitories and sought the solace that comes only from crying facedown into your bed pillow.

Oliver looked up and around expectantly. "…_Accio_?" He offered again, in case the magic needed reminding of what it was supposed to be doing.

Nothing. He sighed, trying to recall what he had previously written, and started up the staircase to the Owlery, when – "_Oof._"

He extricated his letter, which had splayed itself entirely across his face. Oliver glanced in brief wonder at its trajectory from upstairs, then shrugged and tucked it into his pocket.

"Right, well…" He continued up and upward, until he reached the Owlery door, which he creaked openly slowly and peered in at the loft.

"Ah good, empty." Oliver pulled the letter back out and perched himself on the edge of a little bench, trying his best to avoid the plethora of owl droppings (which were most embarrassing to get on your school uniform, even if the entire student body would know fully well that it was only owl poo).

As he crossed out a few words, Oliver noticed some curious watery smudges in the ink, though he couldn't recall having written anything in the rain. He shrugged and finished filling in the gaps.

_Oh, and remember the girl I told you about? Aye, that's Katie Bell. I think you'd really like her, Mum. Only… We've got off to a rubbish start. Every time I turn around, I say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing. Ruin it again. Wish I had a little help… Or that I could stop being me for a few minutes. …It's not Quidditch, so I'm at a bit of a loss._

Oliver tacked on a few traditional Scottish pleasantries at the end for good measure and sealed the letter. He looked around, then clucked softly to an owl in the back.

"Here you go. That's a good lass…" He watched the owl fly off and disappear into the distance, then wended his way back toward Gryffindor Tower.

Katie was now attempting to burrow as far as possible into her bed, in response to Angelina and Alicia having discovered her and attempting (both literally and figuratively) to prod information out of her. They received a strange garbled mess of words for their efforts, none of which – they were fairly certain – was the actually cause of what was wrong with Miss Katie Bell.

Oliver cleared his throat. "'Ello, m'Lady. Password is _puissance_." He entered through the obliging portrait and waved half-heartedly at some of the other students in the common room.

_What shall I go and ruin now, eh?_ He wondered, then decided to magic his class work down from his dorm. _Might as well not be an all-around failure…_

Oliver started out diligently enough on his Ancient Runes, but soon found himself distractedly glancing at the staircase to the girls' dormitories whilst scrawling a (very) rough runic translation of Katie's name.

He hurriedly whisked out a new sheet of parchment as the Weasley twins entered clamourously into Gryffindor Tower. "A bit close…" He muttered, as much in admonishment as astonishment at realising what he had been doing.

"_A bit close _for what, mate?" Fred asked, sidling up to the Scot.

George peered at Oliver's textbook with disgust. "Oi, what's this rubbish you're into?"

Oliver shrugged. "It's nothing – just homework. Leave it alone, aye?"

Fred peered at him suspiciously, "What's the story, Wood?"

George nodded. "Figured you'd be off snogging Katie in the broom closet –"

"Not snogging your Runes." Fred shook his head reproachfully.

"Hardly romantic." George concluded.

"I _said_ leave it alone, Weasley." Oliver glowered, not much in the mood for love advice from the twins.

Fred cocked his head to the side as though listening for a distant siren, then gave a pointed look to his fiery counterpart. "Judging from the recent wailing, guess that means Katie's still available."

Oliver cleared his throat and set his quill down firmly. "No – sorry – she's not _available_."

The twins weren't listening, of course. "Maybe we should go check on her, Fred."

"Have you two taken too many bludgers to the head?" Oliver coughed out (if he hadn't coughed, he would have roared). "Leave her alone."

"Honestly, Wood." Fred blinked, as though suddenly noticing that Wood had been sitting there all along.

"We're you're friends." George said with assurance.

Fred nodded. "We're trying to make sure you don't give up."

"You twit." George concluded, then made a face. The Weasleys bowed formally and tipped their invisible hats to Oliver and left, heading out again to stir up some entertainment for Filch (whom they were sure quite needed it, as it had been at least 27 minutes since they last saw him).

Oliver just stared. "Buggers. Got a funny way of showing their friendship…"

_But what else can I do? _Oliver had started to ponder, but was cut off by the unmistakable sound of a girlish commotion coming from upstairs.

Katie forced a half-smile onto her face (as a whole one wouldn't have been very convincing) and got up slowly from her bed. "I'm fine…"

Angelina and Alicia continued to fuss until Katie came up with an excuse to escape and head to the baths. She opted for the second floor as Moaning Myrtle could be a strange comfort at times, but perhaps the ghost was off visiting the giant squid in the lake for she was nowhere to be found.

Katie looked at herself in the mirror, then closed her eyes. "Maybe it'll be easier just to forget…"

As Oliver closed his book (maybe he would just finish his work 10 minutes before class, like everyone else), he spied a smallish, vaguely heart-shaped bottle the twins had left on the table.

_Thanks, but no thanks. _He rolled his eyes at the love potion (but not to worry, its feelings weren't hurt by it). _Maybe I should find Katie and try again…_

She dried her face off and glanced one more time in the mirror before walking out. "Yeah… It's for the best."


	8. Care to explain, Oliver?

_A/N: Hope you're all still enjoying this, as I'm still enjoying writing it! If you need more KB/OW fulfilment, visit __**thisbrokenheartedgirl**__ here on FFnet and/or __**Katie_Bell_**__ and __**0liverWood**__ on Twitter. Thanks for the favs, reviews, and alerts!_

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><p>•••••••<p>

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><p>Not trusting the other Gryffindors to leave well enough alone (curiosity killed the lion, perhaps), Oliver shoved the Weasley twins' proffered love potion into his pocket for safe-keeping and then ventured forth to find out just where his Katie Bell might have gone.<p>

He concentrated diligently, rehearsing in his head what he would say when the moment struck. _Look, Katie… I was wrong and I've been re-thinking it…_

So diligently, in fact, that he passed right by a forlorn-looking 3rd-year who was staring resolutely at her feet as she ascended the same set of stairs he was descending.

"Err…"

Right, yes, that was his Katie Bell.

Oliver spun around and sprinted back up the staircase (nearly forgetting to jump over the vanishing step halfway up). "Katie!"

She paused at the landing, allowing him to catch up to her.

He caught her wary gaze and looked into her eyes earnestly. "Ehm, look…" He cleared his throat. "_You were wrong and I've_ – err, wait…"

"I know." She said suddenly, a fake smile reflexively spreading across her face. She nodded quickly. "You were right."

"…I was?" The figurative gears in Oliver's head ground haltingly against each other, all trying to process which direction they should actually be turning.

Katie continued on, simply and practically. "We should wait until after the Cup…" She blinked. "Possibly not even then."

"So… you think…" He rubbed his confused face with a slightly-less-confused hand. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I… I want you to be the important thing in my life."

Katie raised an eyebrow sceptically. "I know the twins have been talking to you…"

"What do they matter?" Oliver shook his head in bemusement. "I want you to be more important to me than Quidditch or anything else." He faltered a bit and shrugged sheepishly. "Aye, but I need a little help from you on how I can do that."

"W-well…" Katie stared at him for a moment, admittedly a bit shocked. "That depends."

Oliver hadn't expected that. "Err, depends on what?"

"Whether you're going to run from this." She stated, as plainly as she could.

The serious look Katie gave him rivalled even some of Professor McGonagall's best; he wondered briefly if she had been getting lessons from the Deputy Headmistress.

Oliver steadied himself with a calming breath. "All I can do is try my best, Katie…"

"But it's not a one-way street." He continued resolutely, despite giving her a look that suggested he had been taking lessons from a startled Barn Owl. "We're both guilty of walking away…"

Katie chewed her lip pensively. "I know."

Oliver shrugged. "So we need to help each other."

Katie grew quiet and her voice escaped her with a shudder, like a ghost passing through the living. "So, if I fell into your arms now…"

Oliver nodded softly. "I'm here to catch you."

She mustered all the trust she could find within herself, up from the depths where she kept it vigilantly protected. "Promise?"

"Aye." He smiled genuinely. "Today, tomorrow, and always…"

Colour dusted her visage and she could only manage a hushed "Good…" as Oliver gently stroked her faintly tear-stained cheek.

"So…" He began to grin as the ambience of crisis evaporated. "Would that 'falling into my arms' bit be next, or do I have time to go finish my Runes?"

Katie looked up at him, her heart having recovered its normal cadence. "What would you have me do, Capt'n?"

With an air of mock conspiracy, Oliver whispered, "Well, I was thinking, first maybe we get out of the stairwell…" He smirked while she resisted the urge to cuff him. "Aye, and then we could figure it out from there."

She rolled her eyes and laughed out a "Yes, sir."

Oliver smiled and took her hand, falling in step back to the Gryffindor common room. "You know, you don't have to call me, 'Sir' or 'Captain' all the time… Though I don't really mind it…"

"Than what would you rather?" She asked simply, relaxing against him as they walked.

"Err… Well, 'Oliver', maybe?"

Seemingly from out of nowhere (more realistically, from out of a secret passageway), Fred and George appeared, beaming as though they had recently discovered a mine of Filch-pestering ore. They elbowed one another as they noticed Katie and Oliver, then whistled in unison.

"Oi, looks like the potion did the trick!" Fred called out (perhaps a little surprised that it had in fact worked).

"It does wear off, mate!" George added loudly (just for the sake of being loud).

As the twins carried on down the corridor, ardently making up a new Weasley handshake (as they were wont to do at any spare moment), Katie halted and raised her eyebrows at the Scot.

"Care to explain, _Oliver_?"

He was already flushed with anger and a tinge of embarrassment. What he would do to the twins, he wasn't yet sure of… "It's really nothing, Katie."

He took a step forward, but his hand, still intertwined with hers, stayed rooted to the spot where she stood. Katie Bell wasn't going anywhere.

Oliver sighed and tried to explain. "I sent a letter off to my Mum, then ran into Fred and George in the common room… and they gave me a potion. But I didn't use it!"

Her body stiffened and she allowed him a terse, "Alright." although her countenance did not support the sentiment. She followed him, muted and tense, up the final stairs to the portrait, which he opened for her and gestured her in ahead.

"Thanks." She stepped through and tossed her words over her shoulder, "I think I have some homework to do as well… I'll see you later, maybe."

"Err… '_See you later'_?" Oliver nodded at the couches by the fire. "Why don't you bring it here and we can work together on it?"

"That's alright."

"Katie…"

She braved a look back at him. _Godric._ He needed to stop being so bloody…

_Fine. _"I'll come down once I'm done."

Oliver pulled the love potion out of his pocket and held it up. "Katie, look. I didn't use it, I swear to you."

"I know you didn't." She acknowledged genuinely.

"Oh." Oliver's hand dropped to his side lamely. "Ehm, okay then. See you."

"Yeah… See you, Cap– Oliver…"

Katie retreated upstairs and Oliver found himself alone with his Runes once again. He sunk into his chair, plunked the potion down next to his textbook and studied the bottle glumly.

"At least I hope I won't be needing you."


	9. The Katiest Belliest Katie Bell

_A/N: A long(er) one… with a bit more action and comedy! Also, I may have made up a word or two. Just FYI. It's not a typo. If you enjoy this, visit **thisbrokenheartedgirl **__here on FFnet and/or **Katie_Bell_** and **0liverWood** (and 'special guest' **George_Weasley**) on Twitter._

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><p>Katie Bell was thankful her dormitory was empty, as she didn't particularly feel like explaining why she was muttering a string of obscenities to herself.<p>

"I really hope he rewrote that letter…" She sighed, dragging her Potions textbook from her trunk and lying atop her bed with parchment and quill in hand.

She subjected herself to the assigned reading, but, as her brain wouldn't manage more than a half-hearted attempt, she soon found herself pondering the offending book's 'untimely' defenestration.

As his own brain's lacklustre performance had never really bothered him, Oliver gladly continued scribbling semi-plausible answers for his Runes paper until he reached the end of his parchment.

"Err." Oliver mused, before decisively rotating his assignment 180 degrees and signing his name.

He flicked his book closed and leaned back in his chair for a better view out the nearest window.

Which was the one common room window that just so happened to overlook the Quidditch pitch.

Of course.

"_Not __important.__ Not __important._" Oliver chided himself quietly. "_Not__–_"

"Sodding potions…" Katie shut her textbook with a _thunk_ and deposited it unceremoniously on floor with a _thump_.

But a superfluous _thud_ from downstairs immediately followed after, which had a curious heft to it, as though, perhaps, a burly 6th year had just fallen backwards in a chair, upsetting his Runes book as well as the smallish bottle next to it containing a dubious love potion, and consequently knocking the bottle's cork out and launching the pungent contents onto said burly 6th year's face.

"_–__important_." Oliver blinked once upon impact with the floor, then dutifully passed out.

"_Merlin,__ Wood__…_" Katie hissed when she had made it down the stairs. She hurried over and knelt next to her Scotsman, wondering whether she'd actually be able to identify any outward signs of brain damage, especially through all that 'lovely' goop.

Oliver moaned lowly. He began to twitch awake, eyes fluttering, when he suddenly succumbed to a nasty coughing fit, having inhaled some of the more determined potion that had waywardly trickled its way into his gaping mouth.

"Err, ow…" Oliver reflected, as he took in a few sharp breaths.

Katie rubbed his shoulder gently. "You alright, Oliver?"

His eyes snapped open wide.

"…Katie?" He stared at her. "_Katie,__ my __dearest __sweet__…__?_"

Now _her_eyes widened. Which actually helped Katie espy the telltale potion vial that was trying to roll itself under a nearby sofa.

Alas. That was it. She was going to have to pummel the twins to a pulp.

"You came to rescue me…" Oliver observed, whilst looking around and wondering why he might be lying on the floor. A bit of maniacal laughter suddenly played across his lips. "To rescue me… Or to take advantage of me, aye?"

"_Rescue__ you,__ of__ course!_" Katie blushed in flusteration.

"That's what I love about you…" Oliver reached up to play with a strand of her hair, mesmerised. "My dear sweet Katie… Katiekins… _Katielovey_…"

To say Katie Bell was growing uneasy would be an exceptional understatement.

"_Oliver__… _Snap out of it. Y-you're under that potion…"

"Potion? What potion?" He suddenly beamed. "Katie Bell, _I'm__ under __your __spell!_"

For emphasis, Oliver pointed at her, grinning happily.

Katie reflexively backed away, then quickly stood up and just watched him.

"Ehm, I'm still on the ground…" Oliver mentioned to the closest furniture legs, hoping for some assistance.

Katie sighed and quelled her panic momentarily to help her Captain sit himself upright.

Oliver sluggishly wiped some of the potion slime from his face, all the while staring intently at Katie. "You know, you're quite lovely, lit by the sun's glow… Aye… Like the golden Snitch in Harry's hand…"

"…Thanks…" She shook her head, absently cleaning a spot on his chin whilst plotting the twins' imminent demise.

"Now, what were we doing?" Oliver looked at her, helplessly trying to remember. "…Snogging? …Looking for a place to snog? Did I say you look lovely yet?"

"Yes, you've said it already." Katie blushed (she couldn't help it), then quickly cleared her throat. "_You_ were doing your Runes and _I_ was upstairs doing my Potions work."

"Ah. Runes…" Oliver opened the textbook beside him, crestfallen. "Nae, wait – I remember! All finished…"

Oliver pulled out a sheet of parchment that was covered with a few scrawling runes repeated over and over. "Oh, look, I wrote your name! Katie. Katie Bell."

The red in said belle's cheeks became more pronounced. "You'd better cancel that out…"

"Err… right." Oliver eyed the paper suspiciously. "Right! Otherwise everyone might get jealous!"

"I highly doubt it…" Katie stared at Oliver blankly, for she could not think of a suitable enough expression. "Where are the twins?"

"Aye, the twins!" The Scot nodded seriously. "I better write a letter right now to Fred and George – and Harry, too – and make sure they don't get too envious."

"No, no…" Katie thought she might be reaching the limits of her frustration. "Just go fetch them."

"Fetch them?" Oliver stared at her in disbelief. "I should've realised… You're madly in love with them! Their ginger hair, big beater sticks…"

"Oh _Merlin_… Ol, I'm not in love with them!" She took his hand (nevermind that it was still sticky with potion residue), and looked him squarely in the eyes. "I promise."

"Oh Katie," Oliver sighed, "The way you say 'Merlin'… My heart couldn't get any bigger…"

Her left brow instinctively arched itself like a hissing cat.

"Aye," Oliver continued, deliriously pleased with himself, "Unless we replaced it with a dragon's heart."

This was getting worrisome.

"Then you wouldn't be Oliver, would you?" Katie pleaded, as sensibly as she could (which wasn't altogether difficult given Oliver's rather nonsensical state).

"Nae, I guess I wouldn't be Oliver…" He admitted sadly, before suddenly perking up, "Nae, I'd be Dragon Oliver! Breathing the fire I feel for you, Katie Bell!"

"Ah…" She countered.

And then it so happened that Katie Bell felt a feeling she had never felt before. The indescribable feeling of wanting to curse someone into next Tuesday at the same time as wanting to organise a parade to celebrate that person's very existence. Well, 'people', actually. For she realised that Fred and George had been silently watching her exchange with (would-be Dragon) Oliver for the past few (very long) moments.

"Need a bit of help, love?" George offered with a not-quite-guilty shrug (whilst Fred leant down and suggested to Oliver, "We _are_ working on importing some dragon hearts if you're interested, mate."

"How much?" was Oliver's hasty reply.)

"You git." Katie grabbed George (as he was closest) to drag him aside, and he grabbed Fred (as they were in this together, and why should he get all the blame – or have all the fun).

She fixed them with a piercing-verging-on-shattering glare. "How long does your potion last?"

George shook his head. "Never tested it before…"

"And it was only supposed to be used on girls." Fred added.

George nodded. "But we don't mind the extra data."

"Aye, and I wouldn't mind an extra date, uh, with Katie…" Somehow Oliver had managed to find his feet. "But you can't come, Weasley. She's not interested in _you_."

"Oh _Merlin._" Katie was admittedly getting tired of saying that. She placed her hands on Oliver's broad shoulders. "Calm down, Ol."

As she stood on tiptoe and gently pressed her lips to his neck (they say that desperate times call for desperate measures), Oliver shivered a bit, involuntarily.

"Didn't realise you were a vampire, Katie." He swallowed. "Thought that was just Cedric…"

Katie rolled her eyes, but allowed herself a small smile. "I don't bite."

George cleared his throat, a little over-loudly. "We_do_ happen to have an antidote."

"Also untested." Fred pointed out.

George eyed the dazed Scotsman skeptically. "Can't imagine it'd make him any worse."

Katie blinked. "What do you mean?"

Fred puffed out his chest proudly. "It's all the common antithetical ingredients to the ones we used in the original potion."

"Should negate it." George translated.

"Or, turn him purple." Fred acknowledged.

"Purple?" Katie couldn't help but laugh at the thought (mostly because the thought had been succeeded by a brief and fleeting image of an overgrown eggplant on a broomstick shouting Quidditch plays). "What do you think, Oliver?"

"Aye, purple would be a lovely colour on you…" He smiled dreamily.

Katie shushed him as gently as she could.

George, meanwhile, had gingerly retrieved the slim vial of purple liquid from some hidden vial-protecting area on his person. "Probably best if he takes the same amount as he did of the other potion."

Oliver quickly snatched the antidote from him and held it up to Katie's eye level. "See, you could be purple. I could be dragon. Happy ever after."

"Honestly, I think I like him better this way." Fred confessed.

"I don't…" Katie sighed. "It's not Oliver proper…"

"Well, it's up to you, love." George shrugged. "Turn him back if you like."

"Good luck, Ollie!" Fred stage-whispered, then bowed grandiosely to Katie.

"You'll need it…" George winked then disappeared out the portrait hole with his consanguineous comrade.

Katie plucked the vial from Oliver's hand before he could even think of doing anything silly. "Do you want to take it?"

Oliver adamantly shook his head. "I could never take anything from you! That'd just be cruel and heartless… And I've still got my heart…" He quickly glanced down at his chest. "I think."

She held the bottle out to him and tried again. "Will you drink it… For me?"

"Anything for you," he breathed, "The Katiest Belliest Katie Bell that ever walked the Earth."

Katie simply smiled her thanks, as she was rather intent on holding her breath whilst he uncorked the antidote. Oliver eagerly downed the entirety of the liquid in one gulp, without mind nor heed of the furious wisps of smoke it was emanating. He grinned.

"Katie, I…" He suddenly blinked a couple times; trails of purple smoke curled out of his ears. "I just really…"

She sat down on the nearest sofa (which she judged to be a safe enough distance away), observing him carefully.

"I love…" Oliver began to sway on his feet. He tried a step toward her. "Love…"

He stumbled oddly and reeled toward the window, whereupon his face slapped against the glass. His eyes focused languidly on the outside world.

"Err… Quidditch." He noticed, then slid promptly to the ground and passed out, his ears still smoking.

Katie sighed one last sigh.

"_Quidditch._"


	10. Feeling better, Oliver?

_A/N: Wow, been a while… Anyway, same spiel: visit _**thisbrokenheartedgirl**_ here on FFnet and _**Katie_Bell_**_ and _**0liverWood**_ on Twitter for more great RPing like what this fic is derived from._

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><p>Oliver awoke slowly in the Hogwarts hospital wing, instinctively emitting a low, plaintive chorus of pained moans.<p>

As if in reply (and possibly due to the castle's rumoured enchantment of perfect timing), Katie Bell made her way past the plentiful empty beds, her hair slightly tousled from her brisk walk through the busy corridors after class.

"Hey… Feeling better, Oliver?"

"Mm? Nhmm… mhhm." He answered, his eyes blinking open groggily.

Katie didn't have much of an answer to that, so he cleared his throat and tried again.

"Ehm, what's… What am I doing here?"

As her eyebrows began to knit themselves together, she sighed and plunked down onto the bed next to his. "Well, you drank an antidote and then passed out…"

"Err…" He cleared his throat again. "What antidote would this be?"

"Oh, good." She smiled, actually very much relieved. "You don't remember?"

Oliver looked at her helplessly. "…Don't remember what now?"

"Nothing, Ol…" She quickly buried her attention and any wayward expressions in her school bag, digging through it for his assignments, which Angelina and Alicia had so very, very generously volunteered _her_ to collect.

The momentary pause gave Oliver the opportunity to calculate and assess things, his countenance darkening the more the details didn't quite add up.

"Katie…" He began, getting rather worried. "How long have I been in here?"

She looked up, parchment successfully retrieved.

"Did I… err…" He tried to swallow the lump in his throat. "Miss the match?"

"Back to square one…" She muttered under her breath, then shook her head and sighed. "Just a day, Oliver, just a day."

"Aye?" He instantly brightened. "Good, nothing to worry about then!"

She instantly shoved his homework unceremoniously onto his lap.

"Thanks," He coughed, then gave her a genuinely appreciative look. "You didn't have to do that."

"It's alright." She shrugged and stood up. "But… I guess I should be going to practise now."

Oliver watched as she passed by the foot of his bed and headed back out the way she came in.

_Maybe you could skip practise just this once, Bell._

Katie stopped suddenly before the hospital ward door and Oliver thought maybe she had read his thoughts (most of the boys in school generally agreed that all witches must be innate Legilimens, regardless what age they were), but she gave no inclination either way, and instead simply waved.

"See you later, Ol." She said and disappeared to rush up to the dorms before hurrying out to the pitch.

Oliver sat in resigned silence for what he figured was an appropriate length of time (which, in reality, only amounted to approximately three-and-a-half seconds) before summoning Madam Pomfrey.

Even in her utmost haste (driven, as always, by the desire above all else to heal well the sick and suffering), Oliver's words beat Poppy to the punch.

"I feel better; can't I go?" He asked, already swinging his legs out from under the blankets and over the side of the bed.

"I've been unable to properly diagnose you, Mr. Wood." She replied in her singsong voice that belied her disapproval. "I'll need more than a few answers from you…"

"Well, I'm sorry…" He shrugged, looking around for his trousers. "Nae, I don't remember what happened. I don't know what potion I took. And I don't know who gave it to me."

Madam Pomfrey crossed her arms and tapped her finger impatiently on her _biceps brachii_.

"Gryffindor's out there right now, without their captain." Oliver gesticulated emphatically in the air, in the direction of the Quidditch pitch. "They need me!"

"We don't know if the potion has run its course, or if it's still lingering–"

"With all due respect," He offered as respectfully as he could manage, despite being a somewhat-belligerent and hubristic 6th year at that moment, standing in nought but an undershirt and boxer shorts. "I certainly haven't noticed any 'lingering' effects and…"

And that's when Oliver Wood began to sway on his feet.

"And maybe I'll just lie down a bit longer…" He continued obediently, leaning heavily onto the foot of the bed and then walking himself very slowly back to where he could reclaim his recently-vacated position under the covers. Madam Pomfrey watched dutifully until he drifted off to sleep.


	11. Maybe I shouldn't bother coming back

A/N: Sorry it's been another long while but I'm hoping to finally finish this fic and be done with it once and for all! (Once and for Ol?) Also, might clean up the earlier chapters; nothing major, just to fix some inconsistency in style. As always, a shoutout to FFnet author **thisbrokenheartedgirl** (see also **0liverWood** and **Katie_Bell_** on Twitter) and thanks for the reviews, favs, and follows!

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><p>It was hard to say what possessed her (it certainly wasn't Oliver's spirit, unless he had died in the few minutes since she last saw him), but Katie Bell was determined to keep the Quidditch gears turning as per usual in the minds of her fellow Gryffindor teammates. Which, of course, meant threatening them within an inch of their lives if they didn't turn up to practise.<p>

She'd barely had a chance to get comfortable on her broom before the others began trickling onto the field, looking (mostly) ready to fly, throw, catch, hit, dodge, and seek. Angelina initiated the traditional low-altitude warm-up lap around the pitch and Katie quickly sprinted past her, both out of exhilaration just to be flying but also with the hopes that no one would see her smiling. She thought that this must be what Oliver felt like on a good day.

Being stuck in the Hospital wing doing homework was not ever likely to constitute a 'good day' in Oliver's book, and as such, his eyebrows were worked up in taut concentration, whilst his quill was actively trying to avoid being thoughtfully chewed for the sake of education. Just as he was beginning to feel overdue a reprieve, Katie's chipper clip-clopping gait brought her to his bedside.

"How did it go?" Oliver asked eagerly, not-so-secretly hoping for a millisecond-by-millisecond account of the couple hours he had missed.

"It was alright… Better than usual, actually." She smiled as she again took up her post on the bed next to his.

"'Better than usual', aye?" He knew it was meant to be an innocuous comment, yet the words still struck at the chords of insecurity in his subconscious, which he always worked so hard to keep muffled.

"Hey…" Katie thought she espied the brief wounding of her captain's pride, fleeting though the evidence was.

Oliver shook the dark thoughts out of his head.

"Maybe I shouldn't bother coming back…" He tried to tease, hoping his tone made for convincing conviviality, though the intended mirth didn't reach through to the expression on his face.

"Don't talk like that…" Katie looked at him seriously. "I… _We_ need you, Oliver. You're a really good captain."

Oliver shrugged and busied himself with worrying at a wrinkle in the bed linen. "Still, suppose I should start teaching my replacement sometime soon, aye, since I've only got another year… and I don't want to leave the team in a shambles."

Katie sighed softly. "You'd better start training Angelina, then."

"Err…" He glanced up at her. "Thought I'd start teaching all of you, actually… Every one of you has the potential. Even the twins, if you strapped them together."

Katie gave her captain a gentle smile. "Angelina's going to get it anyway… So, you don't need to waste your effort."

_Wouldn't consider it wasted_… were the words Oliver had meant to come out of his mouth, but he was distracted by the looming figure of an impatient Madam Pomfrey who was currently waiting in the wing's nurse's station.

"Ehm…" Oliver gave his Chaser a conspiratorial look. "Guess I'm not to be discharged 'til they figure out what it is I took."

"Do you _really_ want to know?" Katie grimaced slightly.

Oliver shook his head. "But _someone_ needs to tell Pomfrey what the potion was, as I've no idea."

"Right." Katie gave a sharp nod. "I'm on it, Capt'n."

She scrambled rather gracefully off the bed and stalked up beside the nurse's desk where Madam Pomfrey had just sat down to enjoy the cup of tea she was stirring.

"He accidentally took a love potion," Katie stated matter-of-factly to the now-rather-shaken nurse matron. "And, well, then he ingested an untested love potion antidote."

"Stars in heaven!" Poppy Pomfrey choked out, nearly dropping her teacup. "Who on Earth gave–"

"Err, thanks – I'm feeling great!" Oliver suddenly materialised at Katie's side, all dressed and with his school things in hand, and hastily led his dutiful Chaser out of the Hospital wing and quite out of Madam Pomfrey's literal and metaphorical reach.

Katie shook her head in awe, laughing once they had reached the nearest staircase. "You are very bad, Mr. Wood."

"Aye, but I couldn't risk my best Beaters being suspended for making unauthorised potions, could I?" He smiled, rather pleased with himself for his quick thinking. "No harm done, aye…"

_Quidditch…_ She sighed.

"…Hey, Capt'n?"

"We're nae on the pitch, Katie…" Oliver nodded benevolently. "Really – you _are_ allowed to call me 'Oliver'."

"And yet you can still call me 'Bell'…" She rolled her eyes at him, then grew quiet for a moment. "Capt'n… What do you last remember happening… before?"

"Don't know, really…" Oliver rubbed the back of his neck, whilst preoccupied with perusing his memory. "I think I was doing Runes, and then…"

He hesitated. "You… err…"

"Did we…?" It was nothing but a blur to him, but something about that particular blur made his heart beat a little faster in his chest. "Did _I_ do… anything… while I was affected by that potion?"

"N-no…" She blushed furiously, nearly tripping up the stairs as she shook her head. "All we did was talk, and you kept saying things like that I was pretty…"

"Oh." Oliver shrugged a little. "That nae sounds too bad…"

"And then, just before you passed out," Katie sighed a bit louder than she had intended. "You said you… really loved Quidditch."

Oliver's shoulders slumped in response, and he stared forlornly at the floor. Even when he wasn't himself, he was still himself.

"Well, it's true, I do like Quidditch, aye…" He agreed sheepishly.

"Yeah." Katie acknowledged curtly. "I know you do."

"And," He eagerly added, hoping to improve his standings, "You are, ehm, quite pretty…"

But Katie never heard it, as she had rushed off up to the landing several steps above him as soon as she noticed the stairs were about to shift.

"Oliver!"

"Err…" Oliver reflexively clutched at the handrail, and could do nothing else but watch as Katie drifted further away from him (though, in fact, it was she who was standing still, and he who was moving).

The castle interior finally groaned to a stop and the two Gryffindors continued their way upstairs, albeit via separate routes.

Katie, Oliver noticed, barely even glanced in his general direction as they did so, but he didn't let that discourage him. After some cursory detours (and some deleterious curses), he managed to at least nearly cross paths with her, even if there was a stony wall between them.

"Bell…" He had to stand up on his toes to see her through one of the diamond-shaped windows hewn into the stone. "I…"

"I meant before all of that." Katie said suddenly, looking back at him, her cheeks growing warm.

Oliver blinked and trotted up to a closer hole in the wall.

"What do you…" Katie began, then took a deep breath. "…Do you still remember what happened on the pitch?"

"Ehm…" He swallowed at the thought of it. "Aye. Pretty clearly…"

She disappeared down another passageway.

"Would – you – rather…" Oliver called out as he jogged up a few steps at the end of hiscorridor, knowing it would lead him right to –

"_Merlin!_" She hissed, slamming into him.

Oliver staggered back a few steps from the collision, Katie safely caught in his arms, his school books and papers strewn across the floor. She looked at him warily.

"…Rather I didnae remember it?" Oliver finished.

"No, I was…" She blushed and extricated herself from his arms. "J-just checking."

He sighed. "Are you alright, Bell?"

"Fine…" She brushed a spot of dust off his robes, as if in apology. "You?"

"Aye. Though I was just thinking maybe we could, ehm, go to Hogsmeade, and have a butterbeer or something… to, err, celebrate my recovery?"

Oliver wasn't aware of it, but he had spoken magic words, which no 3rd year could resist.

"Sure, Capt'n." Katie smiled, her eyes brightening briefly. "I'll go tell the rest of the team, then?"

"Err, well… Maybe just the two of us?" He quickly ducked down and started collecting his things off the ground. "As thanks to you for, uh, taking care of my… of me… during the whole…"

The silence in which Oliver Wood awkwardly cleared his throat was nearly deafening to him.

Katie blushed lightly. "Are you asking me out, Wood?"

"If you don't want to…" He faltered.

She tidied up the short stack of parchment she'd picked up, to give her a moment to consider the offer.

_A trip to Hogsmeade…_

_Butterbeer…_

…_With Oliver?_

_Well…_

"I'd love to."


End file.
